Nana shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but I wish he'd get home."
Outside the wind howled and the snow blew into high drifts. Papa worked in the city and took the train but from the train station there was a five-block walk. Christmas Carols played on the stereo as the family gathered in the living room for the annual Christmas Eve reading of the Nativity story. The honor fell to Beebe as the oldest daughter.
"Shouldn't we wait for dad?" Her usual smile was replaced with a worried frown.
Nana glanced at the clock. "He's only an hour late. Read, she urged."
Beebe looked doubtful. Her father was never late for Christmas Eve with his three children and five grandchildren. She slipped on her reading glasses and cleared her throat.
Suddenly the door to the hallway burst open. The grandchildren jumped up and ran to Papa. His black hat and black coat was sprinkled with white snow. His cheeks were red from the cold, but his smile was warm. In his hands was a big white box.
"Where have you been?" Nana asked as she took the box from Papa's hands and put it on the table.
"The trains were delayed and it was hard to walk in the snow," he explained, "so I stopped to pick up a surprise."
The grandchildren jumped up and down and squealed with delight. "What is it Papa?"
"In a minute," Papa said. He kissed each grandchild. "Go with Aunt Beebe."
Papa and Nana brought the white box into the kitchen before joining the others in the living room. Everyone listened quietly to the Nativity Story. "And so baby Jesus was born. He came to save the world from sin," Beebe ended. They all sang Silent Night.
Rob jumped up, "Papa, what is the surprise?"
Papa laughed. "Everyone come to the dining room table."
Twelve children and adults gathered around the table while Papa went into the kitchen. Nana shut off the lights just as Papa returned with a big white cake with large round candle in the middle. He put it on the table. "Whose birthday is it?" Papa asked.
"Jesus," the family replied.
"Let's all sing Happy Birthday to Jesus," he said. Everyone held hands in the glow of the candle and sang. "On the count of the three," Papa said. Gina, Rob, Billy, Julie and Karen pressed forward to blow out the candle. Nana flicked on the light and everyone clapped.
"This is the best Christmas ever," little Julie said.
Rob and Billy hugged Papa. "This is Papa's Christmas they said."
And so it was every year even when the grandchildren were adults, until Papa and Nana left us to join Jesus in Heaven.
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